Labrats Update by Shawn Carlson: Lesson Six

You may think that scientists have already figured out just about everything you see around you and that they did it a very long time ago. Not so. Ever notice how little bits of tea leaves collect right at the center of the bottom of a cup of tea? Millions of people had seen that for a thousand years. Do you know who the first person to explain it was? Albert Einstein. It just suddenly occurred to him while drinking tea one day that he didn't understand what he was seeing. He was first scientist in history to appreciate that simple everyday phenomenon.

The same thing still happens today. Ever see the dark ring around a dried-up drop of coffee on a kitchen countertop? (If you've never noticed, just drop a drop of your parent's coffee on your kitchen counter top and make sure no one mops it up until it has dried.) That wasn't explained until just a few years ago when a physicist glancing down at the dark stain on his kitchen counter top found himself in Einstein's position; looking at some quite mundane that he didn't understand.

The truth is, there have to be lots of little puzzles out there that no scientist has ever recognized. They are just waiting for you to discover, enjoy and solve. You just need to cultivate a keen awareness of the obvious.

Remember This: The universe is a big place. The professional scientists just can't cover it all. So there's plenty out there for you to discover!

Find out more by reading Lesson Six at http://www.scifair.org/Labrats/LessonSix/LessonSix654.html

See you there.

Dr. Shawn